Author: Zach

Pat Grange and Ben Ashwill Memorial

This past weekend at the Grange and Ashwill Memorial Tournament, we not only saw some great soccer be played, we were able to pay our respects to a couple of Lobo legends and also be reminded of how fragile life is. Pat Grange and Ben Ashwill may be gone, but they are certainly not forgotten and their legacy will continue as long as this program is around.

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Men’s Soccer vs. Cal Poly Preview

The Lobos (1-2-0) look to go to 2-0-0 on the weekend when they play host to Cal Poly (0-3-0) Sunday night. On Friday night against Cal State Northridge, the Lobos where able to control the play and find a goal in each half with brilliant finishes by Niko Hansen and Devin Boyce. Cal Poly will be an interesting test for the Lobos, as even with their 0-3-0 record, they have played one of the toughest schedules in college soccer and played well against North Carolina and Wake Forest. If the Lobos want to win this match relatively easily, they need to put pressure on Cal Poly defense from the opening whistle. The Lobos will have more talent on the field, but Cal Poly isn’t a team that can be taken lightly.

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Women’s Soccer at Weber State Preview

The Lobos (1-2-0) continue their seemingly endless seven-game road trip with a trip to Ogden, Utah to take on Weber State (1-1-0) on Friday afternoon. The Lobos are coming off a 5-2 win against Pacific on Sunday, and will look to build on the success of that game. If the Lobos are able to win both matches this weekend – the other being on Sunday at Idaho State – they will set themselves up for a very successful season. It will be important for the Lobos to put pressure on Weber State early in the match and find an early goal to take pressure off the Lobo attack. This should be a game that the Lobos can control the pace of the game and play in the attacking half for most of the match.

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Lobo Soccer Thoughts

Spending last weekend out on the road, the Lobo soccer teams showed a lot of fight against some of the top teams in the country, with each losing tight games against tough opponents. Although both teams are currently saddled with losing records, there were plenty of positives that bode well for the rest of their schedules.

Men’s Soccer

The Lobos (0-2-0) had one of the most interesting, and heartbreaking, weekends that I can recall in men’s college soccer, losing both matches 1-0 with both goals coming on penalty kicks. While the end results were disappointing, this past weekend still feels like a very good start to the season. While results are what you want, the process is still very important, and I saw more positives then negatives. Because of that, I expect a big showing at home against two California schools this weekend.

Positives:

  • The Lobo defense was exceptional against two great teams in Indiana and Notre Dame. Going 180 minutes against these two teams without allowing a goal in game action is a great feat.
  • The Lobos passing this past weekend was great. There were multiple times during the Notre Dame match where the Lobos were inches away from scoring a goal, thanks to their ball movement.
  • The Lobos played an even match with Indiana, the #13-ranked team in the country. It was a match that seemed destined for overtime, but a penalty with 30 seconds left in the game gave Indiana a 1-0 win.
  • The Lobos outplayed the 9th-ranked Notre Dame in every aspect of soccer, except the one place that ultimately matters. The Lobos were the aggressing team that put pressure on Notre Dame all match, but once again, a penalty was given against the Lobos in the 42nd minute that gave Notre Dame a 1-0 win.

Negatives:

  • While it’s a trend that I don’t see continuing, simply giving the ref a chance to make a call in the box is something you don’t want to do. Although the handball against Indiana was a little questionable, the foul in the Notre Dame match wasn’t necessary to commit, as the player had no angle and was looking for a foul to go down on. The Lobos defense needs to be smart in the final 18 and force the ref to make a call.
  • Despite making several good opportunities with their passing, actually finishing chances was something the Lobos couldn’t do this weekend. The Lobos need to find a way to make the most of their opportunities in the final third, especially against tough competition. Most matches against top teams are going to end with a final score somewhere between 0-0 and 2-1, so getting even one goal in these matches gives you a great chance to get a result.

Players of the Week:

This week there isn’t one player that I want to single out, as the whole backline of Tom Smart, Matt Constant, Nick Rochowski and Aaron Herrera was phenomenal and so was the play of Jason Beaulieu in goal. Because of this they share this week’s award.

Up Next:

Lobos return to Albuquerque for their home-opening weekend to take on Cal State Northridge (Friday at 7 PM) and Cal Poly (Sunday at 6 PM). Make plans to make it to the soccer complex this weekend to cheer on the Lobos to victory.

Women’s Soccer

The Lobos (1-2-0) have the record that most would have predicted after the first two weekends. The Lobos will continue their road-heavy schedule this weekend with two winnable matches, and I think there’s a good chance that they take both of them. Without video feeds for the matches this past weekend, it is hard to tell how the matches played out on the pitch, but one thing we can tell is that the Lobos dominated Pacific on Sunday, winning 5-2. There are some positives and negatives that can be taken from the first three matches.

Positives:

  • They showed great fight and heart against Texas Tech and California. Those two matches could have been much worse than the 2-1 and 2-0 finals, but their resilience kept them in the games.
  • The Lobos have scored 6 goals so far this season, with 5 different players scoring and the other off of an own goal. This shows that they have multiple players that could potentially score goals on this year’s team, which could lead to a nice, balanced attack.
  • Tayler Hammack has played well in the first 3 matches this season in goal, but I wouldn’t be surprised if another goalie gets a look in the near feature. That’s especially true if the Lobos find themselves in a blowout soon. It would be great to have depth at this very important position.

Negatives:

  • The Lobos have yet to play a full match without a letdown. If the Lobos want to win the Mountain West Conference, they need to be able to go a full 90 minutes without any lapses.
  • The Lobos need to find one or two players that can be consistent goal scorers, both to drive the offense, and to draw the attention of their opponents. If they are able to have two scorers with 7 or more goals, this team has a chance to be a force in the Mountain West.

Up Next:

The Lobos will make a trip up to Weber State (Friday 3:30) and then to Idaho State (Sunday 11 AM). These are two winnable matches that could get the Lobos above .500 on the season. I am excited to see the growth of this Lobo team and am ready for their home opener in a few weeks.

 

Men’s Soccer vs. Indiana Preview

The Lobos (0-0-0) kick off their regular season with a road trip to South Bend, Indiana to take on the #13-ranked Indiana Hoosiers in a “neutral” game. Coming off of a 3-0-0 showing in the exhibition season, where they outscored their opponents 8-0 and finished with 3 clean sheets, the team has to be full of confidence heading into what will be a tough weekend. The Hoosiers are one of the premier soccer programs in the country and have an active 29 year NCAA Tournament streak. It will be a stiff test in the opener for the Lobos, but they should be ready after beating Washington 1-0 in the last exhibition game. This weekend will give the Lobos an opportunity to be on the national radar, so hopefully they will make the most of it.

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Women’s Soccer at Texas Tech Recap

The Lobos (0-1-0) fought hard in their first match on the road against a tough Texas Tech squad (1-0-0) before falling 2-1. It was a great and encouraging opener for the Lobos, as with the exception of the first 20 minutes of second half, the Lobos played on even terms with the Red Raiders. After the Red Raiders scored their second goal so quickly after their first, it wouldn’t have surprised me if the final score was 4-0. However, the Lobos rallied to outplay the Red Raiders for the last 20+ minutes.

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Women’s Soccer at Texas Tech Match Preview

After beating ENMU 2-1 in an exhibition match, the Lobos kick off their 2016 campaign with a tough task on the road against Texas Tech. Last year in the matchup, the Lobos lost a 1-0 game in Albuquerque against the then nationally-ranked Red Raiders team. The Lobos are coming off a solid 10-8-2 year, in which they went 6-3-1 on the road, and they hope to keep up that road warrior mentality. Both teams will be looking for answers to questions in their season openers, and without much to go on, the first game can lead to a weird match. The Lobos will need to make the right decision on who is starting in goal and hope that they are able to go all 90 minutes. This should be an exciting match against the two regional rivals.

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2016 UNM Women’s Soccer Preview

The Lobo Women’s soccer team looks to build on year one of the Heather Dyche era, where they finished 10-8-2 overall and 7-3-1 in Mountain West play. One of the more surprising things from last year was how much they struggled at the Lobo Soccer Complex, where they went 3-5-0, but they showed great resolve on the road, where they finished 6-3-1, including an unbeaten 5-0-1 in conference play. It will be important for the Lobos to continue the great play on the road and find a way to play better at home if they’re going to build on last year’s successes. To that point, the Lobos will only play one non-Conference home game against NMSU, meaning the Lobos will be on the road for the first month of the season, including games at Texas Tech and California. The Lobos need to keep their head afloat in that first month and find their top form in time for the conference tournament.

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2016 UNM Men’s Soccer Preview

After two straight disappointing seasons, the Lobos men’s soccer team looks to bounce back, get back to the NCAA Tournament, and once again be a national title contender. This is a very important year for the program, since perception of a program can change very quickly and hurt scheduling and recruiting. A good thing for the Lobos is they have been young and unlucky the last two season, which shouldn’t be the case anymore. Although they can’t control the luck aspect, they will be an experienced squad. The Lobos will have multiple-year starters, key transfers, and a highly regarded recruiting class this year. All that makes me think that if the team can come together to fulfill their potential, it could be a very exciting and special season.

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